Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Is Joining Trump's Legal Team

The former prosecutor and New York City mayor told The Washington Post that he plans to help the president navigate Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation.

“I’m doing it because I hope we can negotiate an end to this for the good of the country and because I have high regard for the president and for Bob Mueller,” Giuliani told the Post.

In addition to his status as a personal friend of Trump’s and a former campaign advisor, Giuliani may add value in another key area: He served as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, where Trump’s longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen is currently the subject of a far-reaching investigation. Trump allies fear Cohen might flip on the president.

Giuliani reportedly angled to be appointed attorney general in the Trump administration but withdrew himself from consideration for both that position and secretary of state as Trump made it clear he’d look elsewhere.

Giuliani’s decision was confirmed to multiple news outlets by Jay Sekulow, another of Trump’s lawyers dealing with the Mueller probe. Trump’s previous lead attorney on the case, John Dowd, resigned in March.

Sekulow added that two more lawyers, Jane Serene Raskin and Marty Raskin, have also joined the team.

Trump has struggled to attract attorneys willing to handle the matter following Dowd’s departure. Late last month, Ted Olson, who served as solicitor general under President George W. Bush, told news outlets that many Washington lawyers are intentionally steering clear of the “turmoil” and “chaos” in the White House.

The president hit back at the claim in a series of tweets, saying numerous lawyers wanted to represent him, but he didn’t want to add to his legal team because it would take them too long to familiarize themselves with the case:

Many lawyers and top law firms want to represent me in the Russia case...don’t believe the Fake News narrative that it is hard to find a lawyer who wants to take this on. Fame & fortune will NEVER be turned down by a lawyer, though some are conflicted. Problem is that a new......

....lawyer or law firm will take months to get up to speed (if for no other reason than they can bill more), which is unfair to our great country - and I am very happy with my existing team. Besides, there was NO COLLUSION with Russia, except by Crooked Hillary and the Dems!